Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Dr. Jonas Chanda
Zambian All Parties Parliamentarians on Population and Development (ZAPAD) Chairperson Jonas Chanda says fertility trends in urban areas have gone down from seven children per family in 1970 to five as of 2013.
Dr. Chanda who is also the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health says the trend has remained constant in rural areas because people have not fully internalized family planning.
The Bwana Mkubwa Lawmaker said this on arrival in New Delhi, India, where he is attending a three day conference dubbed “enhancing the role of Parliamentarians in the inter-linkage between population issues and the 2030 agenda for sustainable development part 3.
He however, says Zambia has put in place measures to benefit from the population dividends through investment in health, education and employment.
He adds that the Parliamentarians are lobbying for aggressive actions on family planning because it is both a health and a development issue.
Dr. Chanda says Parliamentarians want to join hands in working with Government to decentralize policies on family planning because the dependence ratio on the well to do is very high.
He says Zambia All Parties Parliamentarians on Population and Development is therefore, advocating that Government implements policies which are already in place to curb pregnancy related school drop outs.
This is contained in a statement made available by First Secretary Press and Tourism at the Zambian Mission in India, Bangwe Naviley.